Cooling system for internal combustion engines



J. A. WHITE 1,998,695

24 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 23, 1935.

l COOLING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 5, 1.932

ZSheets-Sheet 2 l .11 I I I l I l I l I I I 1 x l I I 1 ama/MD@ ffm@ 21m,

Summa J. A. WHITE COOLING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 5, 1952 April 23, 1935.

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES cooLmG srs'rsnr Foa nvrEnNsr. coMsUs'rroN ENGnvas James A. White, Lockport, N. Y., assigner, by

mesne assignments,

to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich.. a corporation of Dela- Application July s, 193s, serial No. scosse s amm. (ci. 1st-ss) This invention relates to cooling systems for internal combustion engines. More particularly it has to do with a conventional type of circulating system with which is associated an overflow tank 5 for temporarily storing cooling medium expelled from the main system, until such time as it is needed to replenish the supply and maintain the system at full capacity for maximum emciency.

In the conventional cooling system, water or other liquid coolant is forced by an engine driven pump through a circuit, which includes an air cooled radiator and a iacketed cylinder block, and the heat taken up or absorbed in the jacket is dissipated or transferred at the radiator to an air stream flowing therethrough. As the temperature of the cooling water increases, its volume expands and the coolant in excess of system capacityis discharged through an overflow pipe. Losses also occur because of evaporation, particularly where an anti-freeze solution of low boiling point is used. Water is often forced out of the system in large quantities because of after boiling. After boiling occurs when the engine is suddenly stopped after a hard run, when both the forced circulation of water through the system and air now through the radiator are cut off. The large amount of heat vremaining in the engine block and the water in the jacket being stagnant sometimes results in the formation of steam and a greatly increased expansion. Unless provision is made for receiving the overflow and returning it when the parts cool olf, the water in the system will be low when the engine is operated again and proper and adequatev cooling will not be had.

With these things in mind, it is here proposed to provide an auxiliary circuit, which includes a storage reservoir connected with the usual overflow pipe in the main system and having an outlet, preferably connected with the main system on the suction side of the pump, or between the pump and the return side or outlet header of the radiator. With this construction, excess water or va por leaving the mainsystem will not be lost but will be drawn back by the pump whenever occa-v l sion requires, thus eliminating the need for convstaut'care and attention to the cooling system and frequent replenishment of the supply'and also effecting a savings in those cases where costly cooling solutions are employed.

The particularly important feature of the pres-` ent invention is the provision of a double acting valve controlling communication between the overiiow tank and the .main system, lancl which .i v, operstes'automatically tol prevent liquid reaching .and nlling the overilowtank and the consequent introduction into the system as a whole of an over supply when the system is being iilied, and to prevent air being sucked by the pump and drawn into the main system from the vented overflow tank during periods of normal operation.

The invention will be best understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein 1i'igure l is a rear elevation of a radiator having an overilow tank built in as an integral part thereof; Figure 2 is a side elevation', partly in 10 section, showing the radiator connected with the engine jacket; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken onlineS--ofFlgure 1; Figureiisasectional view of an alternative form of valve; Flgure-5 is a detail perspective view of a valve element 15 employed in the Figuie 4 structure; Figure Gis an elevational view illustrating the installation of the overilow device applied as an accessory for existing systems; and Figure 'I is a vertical sectional view of the tank shown in Figur(` 6.

Referring to the drawings, the reference nu meral i indicates a core or cooling unit of a radiator assembly, enclosed within the ornamental shell 2. On its underside, the core is provided with an outlet'header l having an elbow iitting '25 4 to which may be connected a drain valve l. 'Ihe iitting l communicates through a hose coupling l with a pump casing 1. The pump shaft, which may be driven by a belt from the engine crank shaft, also carries a fan l for inducing an 30 air stream through the radiator core I. Associated with the outlet from the pump is the jacket forming a part of the cylinder block l and being connected by the hose coupling il with afitting ii extending through a wall of an outer tank il 35 and opening into an inner tank or inlet header I3 at the top of the core. A short length of pipe Il extends through the outer tank I2 and connects the inner tank Il with thefiller spout Il mounted above the tank i 2 and closed by a iiller 40 cap II.' The two tanks i! and il communicate with each other by an overflow pipe I1 having one end extending into vthe filler spout il and its opposite end into the tankl ll'w'ith its intermediate portion of relatively vgreat length, ex-

vtending downwardly lbeside the core, and having a reversed loop Il at its lower `lend. Extending from the upper portion of `the reserve tank I2 is a vent pipe II, which also constitutes an overflow and which may terminate at any convenient point, but preferably near the bottom of the radiator assembly. Connected at the bottom wail of the reservoir I2 is one end of a return pipe 2,0 whose opposite end may be suitably connected with the outlet from thel radiator as by 5 means of the fitting 5 on the elbow 4. In the return line 20 at any convenient point, there may be inserted a double acting valve device. such as illustrated in Figure 3, where the valve housing 2i is divided by a partition wall 22 into a pair of interccmmunicating chambers 23 and 24. In each chamber is located a iioat valve which may comprise in each case a body 25 of cork or the like, carrying on its upper side a button or plate valve 26 and on its underside a plate valve 21. When both corks are at rest, as illustrated by the full lines in Figure 3, the plates 21 overlie and close apertures in the bottom walls of the` respective compartments, and when the oats are elevated to the broken line positions the valves 26 close openings in the top walls oi' the two chambers.

When the construction described is in use and it is desired to flll the system with water, the closure cap I6 is removed and water poured into the tlller I5. As the level rises in the main system it also rises in the return line 2l, and when it reaches the height oi.' the valve casing, the liquid buoys up the floats 25 to seat the valves 26. In this connection, it might be mentioned that the use of the two floats is a safety measure intended to insure operation in the event one or the other should stick. With the valves 26 or either of them, thus seated no water can pass into the expansion tank as the lllng continues and the water reaches proper level inthe nller spout. When this occurs, the cap is replaced and the engine is ready for`operation. As soon as the engine is started the pump draws water through the coupling 6 from the radiator and forces it through the engine jacket and into the upper header I3 for passage through the radiator core, where the heat taken up by the engine is extracted. Under suction of the pump, the water in the return line 2l below the valve is drawn into the main system, whereupon the floats 20 no longer being buoyed come to rest and close the return line against the passage of air from the vented overow tank. This serves to prevent the main systemv from becoming airlogged. As the temperature of the waterln the system increases there will be a tendency for steam vapors to rise into the filler neck from the top tank and pass through the overflow pipe I1 into the expansion tank I2. Because of the length of the pipe and also because there will usually be a certain amount of water trapped in the loop Il, the steam vapors will be condensed in their passage through the pipe so that there will be little or no loss through the vent I6. Should the water expand beyond the capacity of the main system, or in the event an after boiling surge takes place, the excess liquid rising in the ller neck passes through the overilow I1 and spills out into the reservoir I2. Ii' the expansion exceeds the capacity ofthe overflow tank any excess water will enter and be discharged by the ventpipe I9. However, the size of the overnow tank may be such that its capacity is equivalent to the ordinary volumetric increase, so that the level in the auxiliary tank ordinarily would not reach the top or the vent pipe I9. 'I'he water temporarily stored in the reservoir is free to immediately pass through the return line 20 and into the main system whenever the system needs replenishment. In its passage through the return line no interference is offered by the valve, inasmuch as the valve will first tend to be buoyed up to close the inlet to its compartment but as the water leaves the 1,eas,eos

compartment the valve again drops down to allow more liquid to pass. With the above explanation it will be apparent that water in the main system is conserved and the necessity for refilling practically eliminated. It follows too that the circulating system wi'll operate at full capacity regardless of the temperature of the liquid therein.

An alternative form of valve is illustrated in Figure 4 and this valve may be substituted i'or that shown in Figure 3 without in any way changing the function and operation of the parts. In Figure 4 a hollow float ball is indicated at 30 enclosed Within a chamber formed by a cylinder 3I closed at opposite ends by shouldered caps 32-32, which support at opposite ends of the chamber a spring valve device comprising an outer circular rim or ring 33 having a spiral nger 34 terminated at the center in an enlarged head or valve element 35. Each cap 32 also carries a fitting 36. which projects through the wall thereof and terminates at its inner end in a seat for the adjacent valve member 35. In iull lines in Figure 4, the normal position of the parts is illustrated, wherein the ball iioat 30 is at rest and bears on the lower spring valve 35 deecting it into contact with its seat on the tting 36, sealing the return line to preclude sucking in air from the vented tank. Upon a rise of water into the valve chamber, the iioat will be buoyed up until it assumes the illustrated broken line position, in which it moves the upper valve 35 into seating engagement over the end of theinlet nti-.ing 36.

To apply the invention to those vehicles already on the market, it is proposed to provide as accessory equipment the expansion tank illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 which may be conveniently mounted on the vehicle dash or at any other suitable point beneath the engine hood. l'n this construction a vent pipe 40 communicates the upper portion of the tank 4I with atmosphere and an inlet pipe 42 may be connected by tubing 43 with the customary overilow pipe 44 of the radiator. Any of the steam or overflow of the main system will pass through' the overow pipe 4Il and into the tank 4I for temporary storage. When needed to replenish the supply in the main system, water may pass out the bottom of the tank through the valve compartments 45 and the pipe line 46 conveniently tapped into the main circulating system on the suction side of the pump as for example at the flexible hose coupling 41. In the valve compartments 45 there may be positioned floats 48, corresponding to the float device as heretofore described and which when at rest, seal the return line against passage of air therethrough and which when buoyed up prevent the back now of water from the cooling system and into the tank. In this particular installation the upward seating of the valves 4l not only prevents over filling of the main system but it also prevents losses from the main system as might tend to occur because oi the fact that the top of the vent pipe 40 is considerably below the normal liquid level in the main system.

I claim: I

1. For use in the return line between an engine cooling system and a vented overnow tank for the system, a valve comprising a casing, domed cap nating in a valve adapted to seat on an adjacent iltting to close the opening therethrough, and a iloat within the casing between said valves, adapted through its gravity weight to spring the lower valve into closed position and preclude the passage o! air from the vented tank to the system and through its buoyancy to spring the upper valve to closed position and preclude reverse flow of liquid in the return line.

. 2. A valve device for a conduit connecting a closed engine cooling system and a vented tank.

adaptedto communicate with a tank and an outlet adapted to communicate with a system, a pair Aot valves, ilexibly supported by the walls ci the chamber having an inlet chamber in normally open relation, and means controlling the action ot both valves and comprising a iloat which moves the valves to closed positions.

3. A valve device for association with the res turn line between a closed engine cooling system and a vented expansion tank, comprising a chamber having an inlet adapted to be connected with atank andan outlet adapted tobe conneciedwith an engine cooling system, a pair of valves resil-` 10 ientiy mounted in the chamber adjacent the inlet and outlet, respectively, and a iloat device interposed between sald valves and adapted when at rest to close the outlet valveagainst ilow of air to the engine cooling system from the expansion 1s tank and when buoyed up to close the inlet valve 'against the back ilow o! cooling liquid from the enginecoolingsystemtotheexpansiontank.

JAMBLWHITE- 

